Corruption prevention and control reviewed

The Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control
(CSCCPC) convened its 15th session in Hanoi on June 29 to review the
fight against corruption in the first half of this year and devise tasks
for the third quarter of 2011.

Chief of the CSCCPC Secretariat Nguyen Dinh Phach said that inspection
committees at all levels handled 4,447 violating cases in the reviewed
period and legal agencies have prosecuted 184 persons involved in 100
corruption cases. A total of 97 cases were tried with a total of 258
defendants on charges of corruption, Phach added.

However, he pointed out shortcomings in the fight against corruption, including prolonged investigation, prosecution and trials.
On
the results of the 10-month investigation into the case of the Vietnam
Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin), Head of the Ministry of Public
Security’s Investigation Security Agency Major General Hoang Kong Tu
said the agency has prosecuted 10 defendants and issued international
wanted notice against two suspects.

During the investigation,
defendants admitted to their guilty acts and asked for clemency, said
Tu. The ministry is coordinating with other countries to pursue those
involved in the case and will prosecute additional defendants on charges
of corruption when it collects sufficient evidence, he added.

At
the session, the participants proposed further coordination between
judiciary agencies and relevant ministries and branches to promptly
handle existing corruption cases.

Minister of Information and
Communications Le Doan Hop suggested that investigation agencies should
take the initiative in providing information to the press to avoid wrong
information.

In his conclusion, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
said measures to prevent corruption have shown their effectiveness
which, he said, reflects the Party and State’s stance on the fight
against corruption.

Although the fight is yet to meet the goal
of gradually stop and eradicate corruption, the work has contributed to
stabilising the country’s socio-economic and political situation and the
success of the 11th National Party Congress and the elections of the
13th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the
2011-2016 term, he noted.

He also affirmed the Party and State’s
strong determination to prosecute, arrest and investigate individuals
who violated the law in the Vinashin case./.